Sydney Swans assistant coach Dean Cox has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Dean Cox's standing as one of the all-time ruck greats has been solidified with his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
The Cox story is an incredible one, given he started on the Eagles' rookie list after accepting an invitation from club recruiter Trevor Woodhouse to audition for a spot.
The 204cm ruckman had never completed a full pre-season until then, having arrived at East Perth in late January that year from Dampier in the Pilbara region, in north-west Western Australia.
West Coast soon realised it had something in Cox, who won the Simpson Medal as the best player afield in East Perth's Grand Final triumph and was promptly promoted to the senior list.
Cox's AFL career launched as Michael Gardiner's understudy but he took off when the latter missed most of the 2004 season because of injury.
He played a key role in the Eagles winning the 2006 premiership, claimed the club's best and fairest in 2008, remains West Coast's games record-holder and earned All-Australian selection six times.
Cox said receiving the news from AFL chairman Richard Goyder was "an unbelievable call to get".
"I rang (my wife) Kerry and she was obviously proud, and mum and dad got a bit upset on the phone," Cox said.
"I Facetimed them, so it was good just to see their reaction – for everything they had put in and the opportunity they gave me – and it was an emotional call to them."
Lenny Hayes, Simon Black and Jonathan Brown became Hall of Famers the past two nights, while John Kennedy snr was elevated to Legend status for his coaching and playing feats.
DEAN COX
Played 290 games and scored 169 goals for West Coast: 2001-2014
AFL premiership player: 2006
Club best and fairest: 2008
All Australian: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012
Represented the Dream Team in the Hall of Fame Tribute Match: 2008
East Perth premiership player: 2000
Simpson medallist: 2000
